Systemization method for recycling plastic bags and other items

ABSTRACT

A recycling method whereby a plastic bag or other recyclable item that satisfies applicable manufacturing specifications and is part of a recycling program is marked with a logo and a recycling bag that is part of the same recycling program is marked with a matching logo. Consumers discard plastic bags or the other recyclable items bearing the logo by depositing them in recycling bags bearing the matching logo. The filled recycling bags are subsequently collected for recycling. The system enables consumers to identify qualifying plastic bags and other qualifying recyclables instantaneously and reliably and provides a simple and easily learnable method for their disposal. The system also keeps qualifying plastic bags and other qualifying recyclables segregated from the rest of the waste and recycling streams and protects them from becoming contaminated.

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/922,245 filed Apr. 5, 2007, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is in the field of environmental processes and pertainsparticularly to recycling methods.

2. Background

Only a small percentage of discarded empty plastic bags are actuallyrecycled into new products such as new plastic bags or plastic decking.The invention provides an advantageous system to increase the percentageof plastic bags that are recycled into new plastic products.

At the present time, plastic bags are manufactured without regard totheir recyclability. For example, some plastic bags are speciallydesigned to degrade when exposed to light or air over a period of time.Such degradable materials when recycled and incorporated into newproducts may cause the new products to degrade and decrease their usefullifespan. Another example is the use of string handles or cardboardcomponents in plastic bags. Such non-plastic materials compromise therecyclability of such bags as such materials need to be separated fromthe plastic in the recycling process.

No manufacturing specifications currently exist to enhance therecyclability of plastic bags. However, the plastic bag industry, agovernment agency, a product stewardship organization, or another entitymay in the future create such manufacturing specifications as part of arecycling program.

For example, such manufacturing specifications could includerequirements that plastic bags must be comprised only of polyethylene,including high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene(LDPE), or linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and that certainmaterials must be excluded to enhance recyclability. Examples ofmaterials that might be excluded are degradable, biodegradable,photodegradable, or compostable materials; string; cardboard;polypropylene cinch ties; polyvinylidene dichloride (PVDC); additives;or fillers.

There could also be a manufacturing specification that plastic bags mustnot be designed or intended for a purpose that is likely to bring theminto contact with wet food, liquids, oil, grease, dirt, or othercontaminants. Such contaminants can reduce recyclability.

The above manufacturing specifications are illustrative only.

If manufacturing specifications are established or adopted to enhancethe recyclability of plastic bags as part of a recycling program, therewill be a need for a logo on such bags that will indicate that they arepart of that recycling program. Such a logo would enable consumers andothers to identify such bags easily and reliably.

It will be necessary to (i) keep plastic bags bearing the logosegregated from other items in the waste and recycling streams; and (ii)protect plastic bags bearing the logo from becoming covered with wetfood, liquids, oil, grease, dirt, or other contaminants. As plastic bagsbecome more contaminated, they become less recyclable.

Plastic bags and other plastic products are currently labeled on thebottom with the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) code, consistingof a design of arrows in a triangular shape containing a number andabbreviation, such as 2 and HDPE or 4 and LDPE. It is important to notethat the use of the SPI symbol and the numbers and abbreviations do notconstitute a claim that the product meets any manufacturingspecifications or indicate that the product or material is recyclable orpart of any recycling program. As the Federal Trade Commission hasconfirmed, the symbol with the number and abbreviation merely identifiesthe component plastic resin. See “Example 2” in 16 CFR §260.7(d).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of recycling empty plastic bags using asystem of matching logos on plastic bags and disposing receptacles.

In one embodiment, a logo is printed on plastic bags to indicate thatthey are part of a particular recycling program.

In another embodiment, a matching logo is printed on recycling bags intowhich such plastic bags are deposited as part of that recycling program.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The term “plastic bag(s)” means all kinds of plastic bags or containersmade of plastic film, including but not limited to grocery bags, producebags, retail or merchandise bags, carrier bags, newspaper bags, drycleaning bags, plastic wrapping for containing bathroom tissue, plasticwrapping for containing kitchen paper towels, plastic wrapping forcontaining bottled water, and stretch film used to contain or wrapitems.

The term “qualifying bag(s)” means all plastic bags that (i) meet anyand all applicable manufacturing specifications established or adoptedby a recycling program and (ii) are part of that recycling program.

The term “recycling bag(s)” means a receptacle into which a qualifyingbag is discarded as part of a recycling program.

The invention enables consumers to identify qualifying bags that arepart of a recycling program instantaneously and reliably by marking themwith a logo.

In one embodiment, the logo on qualifying bags would be three diagonalstripes at the bottom right hand corner. On plastic wrapping or stretchfilm, the logo would be the same or similar but not placed in a corner.

In another embodiment, consumers are provided with recycling bagsbearing the same or similar logo to the logo on qualifying bags,identifying them as part of the same recycling program.

In yet another embodiment, consumers would be instructed that emptyqualifying bags bearing the logo must be discarded by depositing them inrecycling bags bearing a matching logo. The key is to match the logos.

In an exemplary embodiment, the logo on recycling bags would behorizontal green stripes.

The logos on the qualifying bags and the recycling bags do not have tobe identical in order to match. To the extent that they are different,consumers would be instructed that they match for the purpose of aparticular recycling program. For example, they could be instructed thata three corner stripes logo on qualifying bags matches a horizontalgreen stripes logo on recycling bags.

The matching logo system would simplify consumer education and increaseconsumer participation and compliance.

The use of the recycling bags would (i) keep qualifying bags segregatedfrom other parts of the waste and recycling streams; and (ii) protectqualifying bags inside the recycling bags from becoming covered with wetfood, liquids, oil, grease, dirt, or other contaminants.

Filled recycling bags could be identified by the logo by manual sortersor sorting equipment at materials recovery facilities. The filledrecycling bags could be separately baled and sold to recyclers.

In one embodiment, the system could be applied to recyclables other thanplastic bags such as polystyrene products, glass or plastic bottles, orbatteries.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the description of exemplary embodiments herein and asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a qualifying bag 1 and a recycling bag 3. On the qualifyingbag 1, there is a printed logo in the form of three stripes in thebottom right hand corner 2 that indicates to consumers that the bag is aqualifying bag that is part of a recycling program. On the recycling bag3, there is a logo in the form of horizontal stripes printed on the bag4 that indicates to consumers that the bag is a recycling bag that ispart of the same recycling program. On the recycling bag, there are oneor more boxes 5 containing instructions to consumers including thatempty qualifying bags 1 bearing the logo 2 must be discarded bydepositing them in recycling bags 3 bearing the logo 4 and that no otherplastic bags or any other items may be deposited therein.

FIG. 2 shows a consumer discarding a qualifying bag bearing a logo (6)by depositing it into a recycling bag bearing a matching logo (7).

The striped logos in the figures are exemplary only. Other logos may beused instead.

The drawings are in no way intended as a limitation to the scope of theclaims.

EXAMPLE 1

A plastic bag recycling program is established.

Plastic bags qualify for the recycling program provided that (i) themanufacturer certifies that they satisfy any and all applicablemanufacturing specifications established or adopted by the program; and(ii) the manufacturer satisfies other program requirements such aspayment of a program participation fee. The manufacturer would bepermitted to print a logo on such plastic bags, such as the three cornerstripes logo shown in FIG. 1, to identify the bags as qualifying bagsunder the recycling program.

When consumers shop at a supermarket or other store, they may beprovided with a qualifying bag to carry the groceries or other itemsbeing purchased.

Consumers would be provided with recycling bags as shown in FIG. 1. Theymay be given to consumers at supermarket checkouts, distributed bymunicipalities or waste haulers to households and places of business, orprovided by other means. The recycling bags would have a logo printed onthem, such as the horizontal green stripes shown in FIG. 1, that wouldindicate to consumers that they are part of the recycling program.

As in FIG. 1, consumers are instructed that the logo 2 on the qualifyingbag 1 matches the logo 4 on the recycling bag 3 for the purpose of therecycling program.

Consumers would be instructed that empty plastic bags bearing anexemplary striped logo 6 must be discarded by depositing them into anexemplary matching striped recycling bag 7, as shown in FIG. 2. Further,consumers could be instructed that no other plastic bags or other itemsmay be deposited in the exemplary striped recycling bag.

Consumers would keep the exemplary striped recycling bags at theirhomes, workplaces, or other locations and fill them over time withdiscarded qualifying bags. They would be instructed that when theexemplary striped recycling bags have been filled and tied off, theymust place them in their recycling bins for curbside pickup, in theirtrash or recycling chutes, in receptacles bearing a matching logolocated in stores or other places, or according to other instructionsthat may be given to them.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been discussed in detailabove. While specific embodiments are discussed, it should be understoodthat this is done for illustrative purposes only. The skilled artisanwill recognize that other components, configurations, or combinationscan be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention is defined inaccordance with the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A method for systematizing the collection of plastic bags forrecycling comprising: (a) providing one or more first plastic bagshaving a visible logo thereon; (b) providing one or more secondrecycling bags having a visible logo thereon that matches the logo onthe first plastic bag; (c) discarding of at least one first plastic bagby depositing it into a second recycling bag; (d) placing one suchsecond recycling bag containing therein one or more such first plasticbags in a place suitable for collection for recycling.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said first plastic bag is part of a recycling program.3. The method of claim 2 wherein the logo on the first plastic bag andthe logo on the second recycling bag indicate that they are part of thesame recycling program.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprisingplacing an item to be recycled into a second recycling bag.
 5. Themethod of claim 4 wherein said item is not a plastic bag.
 6. The methodof claim 5 wherein said item is polystyrene, glass or plastic bottles,or batteries.